Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has been called an offensive genius but so far, that hasn't always shown up in his play-calling. Now, he is going to have to get creative with his franchise signal-caller injured.
Fans are wondering if the Dolphins can win without Tua Tagovailoa. The media doesn't see a path for the Dolphins to succeed without him. Offensively, it doesn't matter who the quarterback is for the Dolphins if it is not Tua. McDaniel is the one person who can lead the Dolphins to a successful season with or without his quarterback.
For all the "quirky/nerdy" talk, McDaniel has to look within himself and realize that it is time to change his approach to the games. Here's how the third-year head coach can keep Miami above water and prove plenty of his haters wrong:
Jonnu Smith needs to play a much bigger role
The Dolphins don't get their tight ends involved as much as they should. Against the Bills, they tried, but they needed to succeed. Jonnu Smith has shown a great propensity for what he does after he catches the ball. He is a hard-hitting TE who will knock a defender out of his way. McDaniel needs to feed him the ball until defenses start taking him away.
If the TE is more involved, it will open every other area of the Dolphins roster, from Tyreek Hill deep to De'Von Achane in the flats. Smith, however, is the key. Hindsight is 20/20, but on Thursday night, Tagovailoa threw a pass into the end zone to Julian Hill.
It hit his hands and he dropped it. The pass was high, but would a more experienced TE like Smith have made that catch? Two plays later, Tua was being walked off the field with his concussion. McDaniel likes Hill, but if he is going to win, he needs to rely on Smith a lot more.
Mike McDaniel has to become a "ground and pound" play-caller
The Dolphins gashed the Bills with their running game. Achane totaled almost 100 yards on a bad ankle. Jaylen Wright ran well despite his stats. Raheem Mostert will be back sooner rather than later. Without Tua, McDaniel needs to make it easier for whoever is the quarterback. To do that, he needs to run the ball more and focus less on feeding Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
Both of the Dolphins top WRs are the playmakers on offense, but they are also double-teamed and game planned against each week. Teams are shutting down the Dolphins top duo and the lack of depth at WR is allowing defenses to cover those wideouts with linebackers and nickel corners.
By approaching the game with a run-first mentality, McDaniel can force teams to play them differently and if he can succeed, it will loosen coverages that will allow him to take advantage of defensive adjustments. Furthermore, a good to great running game will eat the clock and keep opposing offenses off the field. If Tua is out for an extended period of time, Miami will find it difficult when they are playing from behind.
Mike McDaniel has to stop trying to impress everyone with big plays
McDaniel is an aggressive play-caller. He loves the "oohs and aahs" that come with big plays. It seems the crowd noise sometimes impacts his play-calling. Images of him walking the sideline calling out one-play scoring drives border on arrogance, but going for it consistently on fourth downs is arrogant.
Miami can no longer afford to gamble on fourth downs unless they are behind late in the game. Without Tua, the Dolphins can't overcome giving opposing teams a short field to work with. On Thursday, post-Tua, Thompson couldn't gain a yard on fourth down. Teams will be key in stopping Miami's run in those situations because there is little threat from the passing game.
Mike McDaniel needs to prove he's a stellar coach
Finally, McDaniel needs to stop taking unnecessary risks with the ball. He can no longer assume that a second and long drive needs a deep pass to Hill when he can call a play that will pick up half of the needed yardage. McDaniel doesn't have to play it safe, but he needs to call plays smarter and understand the limitations of his offense.
The Dolphins can talk about how fans and media don't see the offensive line as a problem and they can talk about how confident they are in a guy like Thompson to run the offense. However, there is also a reality and the reality is they will not be the same team without Tua no matter how hard they try. It's on McDaniel to make sure this team can still impress.
